Copepodid and adult Argestidae Por, 1986 (Copepoda: Harpacticoida) in the southeastern Atlantic deep sea: diversity and community structure at the species level

New species of Eurycletodes Sars, 1909 and Odiliacletodes Soyer, 1964 from the deep Gulf of California (Copepoda, Harpacticoida, Argestidae)

“…More recently, Menzel and George (2012) reported on five adults and one copepodid attributable to O. gracilis and one adult of an undescribed species from the Eastern and Western Guinea Basin, and Northern Angola Basin (southeastern Atlantic), respectively, at 5000+ m depth. Soyer (1964) noted that O. gracilis could be related to the genus Fultonia given the bi-segmented endopod of P1 and the presence of up to four elements on the third endopodal segment of P2-P4.…”

“…However, some species of several genera of this family have been reported at 200 m depths or less (Boeck 1872, Sars 1920, Lang 1936, Por 1959, 1967, 1979, Soyer 1966, Menzel et al 2011). For a more complete list of the bathymetric distribution of the family in general, and of Mesocletodes Sars, 1909 in particular, see George (2004) and Menzel and George (2012). Argestidae are common inhabitants of muddy substrates, are one of the dominant groups of meiobenthic deep-sea harpacticoids (Menzel and George 2009), and some of its genera, e.g., Mesocletodes and Eurycletodes Sars, 1909, are the most abundant in deep-sea samples, accounting for more than 25% of total abundance of Argestidae (Menzel 2011a).…”

“…obs.). Additionally, from Menzel et al (2011), Menzel and George (2012), and Gómez (2018) it is evident that the same species or closely related species are present in distant localities across vast areas of the world ocean, seemingly “ignoring” geographical barriers. Nevertheless, despite its importance, only few studies are available on the diversity of Argestidae and few of them have tackled the monophyly of the entire family and its constituent genera (e.g., Huys and Conroy-Dalton 1997, George 2004, 2008, 2011, Menzel and George 2009, Corgosinho and Martínez Arbizu 2010, Menzel 2011a, Menzel et al 2011).…”

New species of Eurycletodes Sars, 1909 and Odiliacletodes Soyer, 1964 from the deep Gulf of California (Copepoda, Harpacticoida, Argestidae)

“…However, some species of several genera of this family have been reported at 200 m depths or less (Boeck 1872, Sars 1920, Lang 1936, Por 1959, Soyer 1966, Menzel et al 2011. For a more complete list of the bathymetric distribution of the family in general, and of Mesocletodes Sars, 1909 in particular, see George (2004) and Menzel and George (2012). Argestidae are common inhabitants of muddy substrates, are one of the dominant groups of meiobenthic deep-sea harpacticoids (Menzel and George 2009), and some of its genera, e.g., Mesocletodes and Eurycletodes Sars, 1909, are the most abundant in deep-sea samples, accounting for more than 25% of total abundance of Argestidae (Menzel 2011a).…”

“…obs.). Additionally, from Menzel et al (2011), Menzel and George (2012), and Gómez (2018) it is evident that the same species or closely related species are present in distant localities across vast areas of the world ocean, seemingly "ignoring" geographical barriers. Nevertheless, despite its importance, only few studies are available on the diversity of Argestidae and few of them have tackled the monophyly of the entire family and its constituent genera (e.g., Huys and Conroy-Dalton 1997, George 2004, 2008, 2011, Menzel and George 2009, Corgosinho and Martínez Arbizu 2010, Menzel 2011a, Menzel et al 2011.…”